KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The No. 23 Corban University softball team played its first tripleheader since opening day on Feb. 13 at the Simpson Tournament, as the Navy and Gold claimed one game against No. 12 Oregon Tech on Friday afternoon. After coming up short in the first two contests, the Warriors responded with an 8-4 triumph in game three.

"Today really was a battle between two very good teams," said head coach Nathan Ohta. "Game one was a fight the whole way. They just came up with one more big swing than we did. Jessica Holsinger threw a very good game. They came out strong in game two, and got us pretty good but the girls answered right back and jumped all over them in game three. Taylor Eilders, Anne Binschus, Danielle Ackerman and Kylie Durre had some great at-bats, Sabrina Boyd came up with a huge ball game for us in the circle, and we were able to get a big win against a top 15 team on the road." 

No. 12 Oregon Tech 3, No. 23 Corban 2 – Game One

Corban recorded just five hits and fell victim to a late homer by Oregon Tech en route to a 3-2 defeat to the Owls in game one. The Warriors served as the home team to make up for a game at Warrior Field that was cancelled earlier this season due to heavy rain.

Sophomore catcher Danielle Ackerman (Dallas, Ore.) led the Warriors with a 2-for-3 effort at the dish, while Corban's three other hits came from sophomore center-fielder Annie Owen (Corvallis, Ore.), senior right-fielder RaeAnna Dorcas (Everett, Wash.), and sophomore left-fielder Taylor Eilders (Cameron Park, Calif.).

In the circle, junior pitcher Jessica Holsinger (Eagle, Idaho) got tacked with the loss, as she registered four strikeouts and yielded three earned runs in six innings. Meanwhile, freshman righty Sabrina Boyd (Pleasant Hill, Ore.) pitched one inning and collected one strikeout for the Navy and Gold.

Oregon Tech threatened to score right away, as the Owls put two runners in scoring position with only one out in the top of the first inning. However, the arm of Holsinger silenced Oregon Tech, as she notched two strikeouts to retire the side.

In the top of the third, Holsinger found herself in another sticky situation after Oregon Tech loaded the bases with no outs. But the lefty continued to battle, forcing three straight outs to keep the ball game scoreless.

Corban broke the standstill in the bottom of the third frame, as the Warriors tallied one run and two hits to take the lead. Owen opened the inning with a leadoff single, and then Ackerman followed with a single of her own to put two runners on base. Moments later, Sorensen mustered a fielder's choice RBI to score Owen to give Corban a 1-0 lead.

Although the Owls tied the game at one apiece in the fifth with an RBI single, the Navy and Gold regained a one-run (2-1) advantage in the bottom half of the inning after senior pinch runner Shelby Mauermann (Clackamas, Ore.) scored on an Oregon Tech error.

Oregon Tech continued to fire right back, and the Owls retook the lead in the top of the sixth thanks to a two-run homer by sophomore third baseman Sadie Birch. Corban couldn't compile hits in the sixth and seventh innings, and Oregon Tech held on for a 3-2 victory.

No. 12 Oregon Tech 10, No. 23 Corban 2 – Game Two (Five Innings)

In game two, the Owls used an explosive offensive burst in the second and fourth frames to claim a 10-2 victory over the Warriors. Corban tallied six hits and left five runners stranded in the fine-inning defeat.

Sophomore first baseman Kylie Durre (Bend, Ore.) swung for a 2-2 effort with one RBI to lead the Navy and Gold, while junior shortstop Kali Vali Cleave (Portland, Ore.) went 1-for-2 with an RBI as well.

Junior pitcher Emily Buhrkuhl (Stockton, Calif.) dropped to 12-5 on the year after collecting three strikeouts and surrendering nine earned runs in the losing effort.

Oregon Tech got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first after freshman designed player Tara Moates hit an RBI single to give the Owls a 1-0 lead.  

Corban battled back to load the bases in the top of the second thanks to singles by Durre, senior third baseman Kyrianna Sorensen (Salem, Ore.) and junior designated player Jamie Costa (Tracy, Calif.), and then Van Cleave followed with an RBI single to left field to tie the contest at one apiece, forcing Oregon Tech to make an early pitching change. However, the Navy and Gold couldn't drive home any more runs in the frame.

In the bottom of the second, the Owls exploded for a four-run inning to claim a 5-1 advantage. After a hitless third frame, the Warriors cut Oregon's Tech lead to three (5-2) thanks to an RBI single by Durre.

But once again, Oregon Tech continued to have an answer, as the Owls answered Corban's one-run inning with six hits and five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break the game open.

Trailing 10-2 in the fifth and needing a run to keep the ball game alive, Owl senior pitcher Rylee Carleton kept the top of Corban's lineup hitless to lock up the eight-run, five-inning victory for Oregon Tech.

No. 23 Corban 8, No. 12 Oregon Tech 4 – Game Three

The Warriors brushed off their two losses to the Owls with a hard-fought 8-4 triumph in game three of the tripleheader. Corban out-hit Oregon Tech 11-9 in the win, and Boyd held the Owls to only one run.

Offensively, sophomore second baseman Anne Binschus (Gig Harbor, Wash.) went a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish, including a double in her first at-bat. Eilders recorded two hits for Corban, including her first-career grand slam. In addition, Ackerman collected her second two-hit game of the day, while Durre batted 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Boyd finished the day with one strikeout, and she forced 12 groundouts on the way to her fifth victory in the circle.

Corban raced to an early 2-0 lead in the first after Durre continued her success at the dish with a two-run single. After Costa drew a walk, Eilders belted a grand slam to left field to give the Warriors a 6-0 advantage.

Boyd replaced Holsinger in the circle after the Owls mustered two quick runs in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded and no outs, Boyd escaped the jam by allowing just one run to keep the Warriors ahead by three (6-3) going into the top of the second frame.

In the top of the third, Ackerman ripped a leadoff single to keep the pressure on the Owls. After a single by Binschus sent Ackerman to third, Sorensen followed with a sacrifice fly to tally another run (7-3) for the Navy and Gold.

Leading 7-4 in the fourth, the Warriors put two runners in scoring position with only one out. Ackerman eventually tallied her third run of the game after Dorcas popped a sacrifice fly to push Corban ahead by four (8-4).

In the final four innings, Boyd held the Owls to only three this to help the Navy and Gold reel in the 8-4 upset over Oregon Tech.

Corban returns to action tomorrow for a doubleheader against Southern Oregon in Ashland, Ore. First pitch for game one is set for 11 a.m.